Ford says it is recalling 166,196 F-150 pickup trucks in the United States and another 50,989 in Canada over a problem with the LED headlamps.
The recall targets 2018 and 2019 F150 models.
In these models, the daytime running lights (DRLs) stay on at full power even when the driver manually switches the lights from Auto to the regular, low-beam setting. Normally, the DRLs should dim to the intensity of the parking lights.
When this happens the vehicle’s headlights are more intensely lit than they should be. Ford’s statement explains that “This may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash”.
A spokesperson for Ford told Automotive News that the announced measure is a safety-compliance recall.
The company has not received any reports of accidents or injuries in connection with the problem.
Dealers will fix the problem by updating the software that manages the functioning of the headlamps.
Company spokesperson Monique Brentley said Ford will start contacting owners of affected vehicles as of March 9.
It’s not known at this point which company manufactured the defective headlights.